Marguerite's Wish
by torchwoodfour
Summary: Marguerite has a chance to ask for her heart's desire.


MARGUERITE'S WISH 

By LORDROXTONSHAT 

A peaceful calm had settled over the plateau through the night. Morning had dawned with a fine mist that sparkled on the plants and left a dewy softness to the jungle below. Marguerite had barely noticed that it was morning, let alone a beautiful morning. She sat hunched over a small box of coloured rocks, examining them closely. There she had been all night after a brief try at a fitful sleep. 

There was nothing too promising in this lot, she thought to herself. They were all rather dingy and worse yet, small. Still, better than nothing, she smiled as she re-examined the one that held some possibilities. 

"Whatcha got there?" came the all-to-familiar sound of Ned Malone's voice. Startled out of her private reverie, Marguerite looked up and flashed a quick smile. 

"That looks like a Bullimini prayer stone," came another familiar voice from behind her. 

"A what?" Marguerite turned to face Veronica as she entered the room. 

Veronica's blonde hair fell in a tangle over her eyes as she rubbed them "Anyone else have a rough night sleeping?" She looked at Malone and gave him a small quick smile before quickly looking away. 

"A what?" Marguerite tried again. 

"No," Malone smiled back at Veronica "But I think Roxton might have. He was out all night with Challenger, helping with that new experiment. You know how Challenger gets when he comes up with a new idea. That and Challenger sure does snore. Anyone know if they were due back for breakfast?" 

"Hmmm, I'm not sure. Challenger was a little vague on how long it was going to take." Veronica started to reach for the cookware, "What's anyone want for breakfast?" She looked again at Malone. 

Malone smiled quickly and looked out the window of the tree house; "Looks like the Professor got the moisture he wanted for whatever it is that he is working on." 

"Malone?" Veronica called 

"Yes, Veronica?" 

"We're out of water for the tea, would you get some more for me?" 

"Sure, I'll be right back!" Malone took a wooden pail and headed for the elevator. 

"Here, Veronica. Let me help you with those!" Marguerite reached for the plates and began to set the table. 

"Ummm, thanks?" 

"So, what is a Bullimini prayer stone?" Marguerite added after a moment or two. 

******** 

"Challenger. Wake-up." There was a long pause. "Challenger! Your experiment is clicking." Roxton gave the huddled mass a nudge with the toe of his boot. 

"Izuawannanuff," came a muffled voice from beneath the blanket. 

"If you want to give a quote to the press about your findings, you'll have to wait until you see Malone," Roxton chuckled softly. "Until then, should this thing be making so much noise?" 

"Noise?" Challenger sat bolt upright. "What noise?" 

"Shhhh!" 

"I don't hear anything." 

"Shhhhhhh!" Roxton began slowly backing up. 

"I still don't hear anything... " 

"Challenger!" Roxton hissed. "Be quiet! There's something in the bush." 

"Where?" Challenger whispered, looking around for his rifle, he slowly untangled himself from his blanket. 

"There," Roxton motioned at the thicket not far behind Challenger's bedroll. "And there." He pointed again to a cluster of trees to his left. 

"Cover?" Challenger had finally pulled the blanket from his legs and slowly began to stand. 

"Best bet is that tree. There." Roxton had his rifle aimed at the thicket, but his eyes constantly darted to the trees. "Lowest branch should be out of a Raptor's reach. Unless it's a particularly tall beastie." 

"I see." Challenger glanced at the suggested tree. "Do you think we can make it before they strike?" 

"I doubt it," A twig snapped near the group of trees that concealed the second predator. "One way to find out... RUN CHALLENGER!!!" He screamed to the Professor as Roxton fired shots in succession as both raptors jumped into the clearing. 

As Challenger reached the base of the tree, without a second's hesitation, he reached as far as he could and jumped at the lowest branch. His fingers grazed the bark of the limb as he felt himself fall back to earth. 

Roxton glanced at the Professor sprawled beneath the tree for only a fraction of a second, but the raptors, taking note, leaped forward. Now only mere yards separated the dinosaurs from their prey. 

******** 

"So let me get this straight," Marguerite faced Veronica, the stack of plates still in her hands. "These prayer stones are supposed to give you whatever you most desire?" 

"Well, the legend goes that with the proper respect, they will give you the thing that you most need and want, yes." 

"Interesting..." Marguerite turned to look back at the box sitting on the table. 

"Still, it's only a legend." Veronica took the plates from Marguerite and finished setting the table. 

"Still..." Marguerite echoed and she picked-up her box and headed for the elevator. 

Malone appeared a few minutes later with the water. "What's going on with Marguerite? 

"What do you mean?" Veronica stirred something simmering on the stove. 

"I don't know. I just passed her on the elevator and she had a really funny look and was muttering something. When I said I was sorry, that I hadn't heard her, she said `As long as the people who matter hear it, I'll be Okay." Malone turned and looked at the empty elevator. "That was strange, even for Marguerite." 

******** 

"Okay, how do you phrase a question like this?" Marguerite held the stone in both hands and took a deep breath. She walked in slow circles around the base of the tree house. "May it please the gods of Bullimini, umm, elders of Bullimini... Well, May it please The-Powers-That-Be of Bullimini...." She gave a little smile in spite of herself. "Please, with ALL due respect... I respectfully request... Damn, this is hard!" She sat down against the base of the tree. "Okay, now just think it out... what is it that you really want?" 

******** 

"Would you call Marguerite up for breakfast?" Veronica called to Malone over the sounds sizzling from the stovetop. 

"Sure," Malone looked-up from his journal and yelled "Marguerite! Breakfast!" 

"Very funny," Veronica shot him a little frown, but just had to laugh. 

"I aim to please!" Malone got up and headed to the balcony. "MARGUERITE!" He yelled down. 

A faint voice answered, "Coming." 

"Strange girl," Malone mumbled as he returned to his seat. 

"What?" Veronica came to the table with a steaming plate and the teapot. 

"Marguerite is sitting down there all by herself, rubbing some rock and talking to herself. I think the jungle is getting to her." Malone laughed. 

"SHHHH, here comes the elevator." Veronica had to force an all-too-big smile from her face as Marguerite appeared in the elevator. 

"So how long is it supposed to take for these prayer rocks anyway.... Just out of curiosity, I mean." 

"I don't know." Replied Veronica, pulling her chair up to the table. 

"I mean, I was just wondering, are we talking minutes, hours, days? What?" 

"Legend has it that the stones will give you what you really need, when it happens... I would guess that it is different for everyone. Ned, would you pass the bread?" 

"Well what kind of worthless... You mean it could take longer? Like months?" 

"I really don't know Marguerite, it's just a legend. Malone, is there any jelly?" 

"How hard could it be? A few more diamonds, a way off the plateau...?" Marguerite mumbled quietly to herself. 

"Well, there was that jelly on Challenger's work table." He said, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a grin. Both he and Veronica broke out laughing. "It was raptorberry if I recall!" 

"Now Veronica..." Marguerite began again. 

"I just do not know any more about it! Marguerite! Really! You would think that you hate you life here so much, the hurry you are in to change it." Veronica took a deep breath before continuing again a little more calmly. "All I know, is you ask the stone for what you really want and it is supposed to bring you what you really want, or need, or deserve, or shouldn't have to do without, or whatever. Any more I really can't tell you." 

"But how?" 

"Marguerite..." 

"I have asked it for what I really wanted and I haven't gotten either thing! It's not working." Marguerite threw the stone with all her strength across the room and down the elevator shaft. 

"Hey!" came a familiar voice. The elevator appeared a moment later carrying Roxton and Challenger. "I've heard of pennies from heaven, but rocks?" 

"Well, Lord ROCKSton..." Challenger began with a wink. "I think we must be in a bit of a meteor shower." 

"I don't think I recall hearing about that on the weather forecast for today." Roxton walked across the room and handed the stone to Marguerite. "I believe THIS belongs to you, my lady," he said with a bow. "Are we too late for breakfast?" Marguerite looked at the stone and then at Roxton. She turned to Veronica who swallowed hard on her last bite of breakfast. 

"That was not what I asked for!" she whispered to Veronica. 

"I never said it would give you what you asked for," Veronica whispered back as she watched Roxton filling a plate at the stove. "I said it would give you what you need." 

"Do we have a story for you!" Challenger began as he sat next to Malone. "There were these two raptors, they had us for sure. You know, I'm still not sure how we got out of that one. I'd say some kind of miracle, if I weren't a scientist, that is...." 

"Does anyone have the jelly?" Roxton called from the stove. 

"Challenger has some!" Malone called back as he and Veronica broke into a giddy laughter. 

"No, I don't have it." Challenger said with a confused look on his face. 

"Well... that's okay." Roxton looked at Malone and Veronica as they nearly rolled on the floor in laughter. He shook his head and sat next to Marguerite. Noticing the look she gave him he said, "What? Did you want something while I was up?" 

"Just a stack of diamonds and a way off the plateau." Marguerite continued to stare at him. 

"Okay, sure..." Roxton smiled. "But after we eat, all right? Until then, you'll just have to make due with me." 


End file.
